Sam's Jealousy
by paulacole
Summary: I'm taking a break from my dark stuff, though this is darker then Jealousy. Set around Past and Present, so kind of spoilerish. A kind of companion piece to Jealousy, but not related. Feedback is welcome!
1. Default Chapter

Sam's Jealousy 

_Author's Note: _

_Set around Past and Present, so kinda spoilerish. Meant to be a pseudo-companion piece to Jealousy, although not connected storywise at all. Sam's jealous over Daniel's relationship with Kera. And of course I don't own anything to do with Stargate. If I did, I'd be writing scripts, not fanfiction. _

She was jealous. Jealous of a woman who had no memory. Jealous of a woman who would spend a few days, maybe a few weeks, on earth before being sent back to her own planet.

She was jealous of Kera because she had Daniel Jackson completely infatuated with her. She was jealous because Kera was younger then her, prettier then her (so she thought, anyway) and had Daniel.

Captain Samantha Carter knew this, because she'd stooped low enough to stand outside Kera's door, eavesdropping on her and Daniel. She'd made out the sound of them talking, then soft, teasing laughter, then the sounds of soft groaning – she would recognise Daniel's voice anywhere, even when he wasn't _speaking_, per se – that had filled her with a sense of betrayal that she knew she had no right to feel. She had no claim to Daniel. It was just a pity he didn't have better taste, she told herself.

Kera had grated on Samantha from the moment she'd first met the amnesiac woman. Or at least from the moment Kera and Daniel hit it off. She acted like a helpless dumb blond, clinging to Daniel the way she did, laughing about her inability to remember a thing – OK, so maybe she kind of had an excuse for that but still… she grated on Samantha.

And she thought Daniel was getting in way too deep way too soon. After all, his wife had only just died. OK, so she's 'gone' years ago, but she had only just _died_, taking with her any hope of a reunion, that had to affect him somehow. Kera shouldn't be taking advantage of that.

She knew she was taking this far too personally. If it were anyone else, she knew part of her would think 'he could do with getting laid'. Daniel was really big of fidelity, Samantha knew. It was one of the most endearing things about his. Apart from the Hathor fiasco – which he had a good defence for avoiding responsibility – he hadn't slept with another woman in the two and a half years since Sha're had been taken as a Goa'uld host. He must be aching for a release. It couldn't be healthy for a guy to keep it in like that.

Of it had been anyone else, she would at least have been able to see it as a purely physical need. But it was Daniel –

Why should Daniel make it any different? It wasn't even that she was close to him, as a team member and friend. She would have felt the same about Jack and Teal'c.

But the idea of that dumb blond (Samantha didn't like to be reminded that Kera was as gifted at maths and science as she was) in bed with Daniel made Samantha… unsettled.

She didn't like to use the word _jealous_. That implied she and Daniel had something, or she wanted them to have something, that would make her jealous of another woman.

But if she really thought about it, she knew she had been a little jealous whenever she witnessed how deeply Daniel loved his wife, how determined he was to get her back. She had wanted to be the object for such devotion. She tried to tell herself she just wanted to be as loved as Sha're was, and not that she wanted to be loved by Daniel.

Goddamnit, she wanted to be loved by Daniel.

Oh, God, had she actually thought that? Samantha felt herself blushing, and struggled to control herself before someone came in and saw. The idea of her and Daniel… it was a logistical nightmare. Technically, it wasn't against regulations, because he wasn't military, but at the very least, they'd have to separate them, and Jack would be pissed.

And worse, if she told Daniel how she felt and it turned out that all he wanted was a transient lay, he loved her as a friend, all that crap – her heart constricted just at the thought.

When had Daniel come to mean so much to her? This was horrible inappropriate. She had managed to get over her attraction for Jack, she should be able to get over this.

She wanted to tear Kera's pretty blond hair out. She wanted to go all territorial on the other woman. But that would be making a complete ass of herself, and for what gain? Probably none.

So she restrained herself and went back to her mission report, determined not to let it show that Daniel Jackson meant more to her then a friend and team mate.

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Daniel lay on his back with Kera's head on his chest, one arm draped across him casually. He wondered if there was any way he could ask Sam or Janet if amnesia affected sexual prowess. Kera was absolute dynamite.

It didn't hurt that he'd been aching for it for a while. He'd remained faithful to Sha're the entire two and a half years between her being taken and her death (except for the Hathor fiasco, and he figured he couldn't be held responsible for that), and that had been hard – in more ways then one. When Kera had kissed him, it had been the first time he had felt like it was OK to do this.

He'd made it clear he was offering nothing but his body, and wanted only the same in return. He was attracted to her, he wouldn't deny it, but there was so much going on in his life right now, he didn't know if he had the emotional capacity to commit to anyone.

Surprisingly, Sha're's death didn't affect him as much as he would have expected it to. Initially, he had been devastated, and wanted to kill Teal'c to get even. But as the days and weeks had gone by, he had begun to realise he had mourned Sha're a long time ago. He had been clinging to the hope of the return of her body, but deep down knowing that he wouldn't be getting _her _back. Her death was a kind of release. He could move on.

And as he was realising his fading feelings towards his wife, he became more aware of his attraction towards Captain Carter. Not just his attraction for her – his affection, his bond… his love? Now there was a possibility fraught with difficulties. He wasn't military so technically couldn't be done for inter-military fraternisation, but Jack would still kill him. And Samantha had that thing with Jack, or had had it, Daniel didn't see much of that initial spark anymore. They seemed to have moved on to just being friends.

That didn't make the possibility of him and Samantha anymore likely, though. They were friends, and anything more was asking for trouble. Better that they kept things simple.

As simple as sleeping with someone from another planet could get, at any rate.

He felt strangely empty. He no longer felt the ache in his groin that had always been there since Sha're had been taken, but that he'd learned to live with, but for all the relief that the sexual relief was, he felt empty.

He dimly realised there was a difference between having sex and making love.

Kera sensed his restlessness. " Is it something I did? " she asked.

Daniel felt immediately guilty. He kissed her softly. " I have a lot on my mind, " he said evasively. " I'm sorry. "

" You have no reason to be sorry. You told me… " she trailed of. Daniel was relieved that she got it. Kera snuggled up to him. " It was… _wonderful_, Daniel, " she praised him. " But I know there's nothing more to it. I don't think it would work out even if there was. "

Daniel smiled ruefully. _That_ was the understatement of the century. They were from different words, quite literally, and she had no memory of who she was. As he recalled, she had kissed him because she was afraid she would never have the opportunity again, once she remembered who she was and if she was committed to someone else. " You think? " he asked.

They lay in comfortable silence for a few minutes before there was a discreet knock on the door. " Doctor Jackson, you're needed in the debriefing room, " a guard said through the door.

Daniel turned to Kera. " I'll be back in a little while, OK? " he said. Kera nodded. He kissed her forehead and slid out of bed to get dressed.

There was no time for him to shower and change, and he felt a little embarrassed to rock up to the debriefing room in his condition. He knew he looked outwardly presentable, but he could feel Kera on his skin, and while that was quite a pleasant sensation, it made him distracted, and he was sure Jack, Samantha, Teal'c and Hammond could see it.

He was completely floored that they'd come up with the theory that Kera was actually Leanna, the destroyer of Worlds who they'd given information about other words to. They'd felt pretty foolish about that. They had known, deep down, that that mistake would come back to haunt them one day, but none of them would have thought it would come back like this.

Daniel knew he was too close to Kera to be objective, but nonetheless, he resented the presumption of her guilt. He took it personally that they were convinced Kera was capable of all that destruction. And when it slowly sank in that there was every possibility Kera could be Leanna, he began to defend his lover. Even if Kera _was_ Leanna, he argued, in a physical sense at least, that didn't mean _intellectually_ or _emotionally_ she was Leanna. People changed ; Teal'c was a prime example of that, and he told them so.

Samantha felt her heart twist painfully as Daniel defended Kera/Leanna passionately. He was too close to her to be reasonable, she thought jealously. He was acting like they were personally responsible for Kera being Leanna.

She supposed she might feel the same way in the same situation, but it still pained her to think of _why_ Daniel was so defensive. Would he defend her so passionately in the same situation? Would he even _want_ to be in the same situation with her? She doubted it. Sha're had been gone for over two years now, and he had never shown any interested in her, not even physically. Of course, anything overt would have been inappropriate, but Daniel was a red-blooded male, after all, a lustful look wouldn't have gone unnoticed – or unappreciated. But Samantha knew Daniel had never looked at her the way she wanted him too. He was too professional for that. _Damn him_.

Daniel noticed Samantha seemed to be in a stroppy mood. And it seemed to be mostly directed at him. What had he done to her? He searched his memory for something he had said or done, and came up with a blank. Samantha was being irrational, which was unlike her, but _he_ hadn't done anything.

He cornered her in a hallway after the debriefing. " What's your problem? " he asked.

Samantha glared at him. _He_ had slept with the Destroyer of Worlds and _she_ had a problem? " Nothing, " she said shortly. She turned to leave.

He grabbed her arm and turned her around so she was facing him. She inhaled, and could smell Kera on Daniel. Her heart churned. " You smell of sex, " she said accusingly.

Like her conduct in the last three years was impeachable, Daniel thought defensively. Narim, Martouf anyone? " So? " he asked coolly, resenting the accusing tone in her voice. " I'm not married, Sam. "

" You were a few weeks ago, " Samantha countered, determined not to make this about yourself. " You're not exactly the picture of a grieving widow. "

Daniel stared at Samantha incredulously. He had never seen this uptight version of Samantha before. He had been faithful to Sha're for two and a half years while he held onto the hope he might get her back, he wasn't entitled to a release now that hope was lost? He felt fierce resentment that Samantha should be standing in judgement of him. " It was _just sex_, Sam, " he said through gritted teeth. " It didn't mean anything. I'd do you if you were offering. "

It was crude, he knew, and out of character, but he was pissed off and wanted to lash out at her. She responded by slapping him.

He responded to that by pushing her against the wall and kissing her. He didn't know what possessed him, only that he was thoroughly worked up – anger, desire, he didn't know.

He did know that for a brief moment, Samantha kissed him back before she threw him off her, her blue eyes spitting fury.

" How dare you! " she yelled at him. " How dare you touch me after being with that… _manipulator_. " Her body shook with rage and humiliation at Daniel's words. It no longer mattered that Daniel found her attractive, as his words implied – she didn't want him to be attracted to her like he was attracted to Kera/Leanna. She was more then just a warm body.

Daniel looked at her tiredly. " I like you Sam, OK? But this is too much for me to deal with right now. "

" Fine, " Samantha spat through clenched teeth. " Go back to your whore, see if I care. And for the record, I wasn't offering. " And with as much dignity as she could scrape together after her outburst, she walked off.

Daniel didn't want her! Or if he did, he only wanted her in his bed like he did Kera. He was still hung up on Sha're – he would never look at Samantha as a wife.

Samantha didn't know why she cared so much. It wasn't like Daniel meant that much to her.

Daniel watched her go, too heart sore to do anything about it. She wasn't interested in him. Maybe she was attracted to him – she _had_ kissed him back, he knew it – but she wasn't interested in a relationship, and she wasn't about to risk the dynamics of the team, or her professional integrity, for a few hours in his bed.

Despite himself, Daniel wondered what Samantha would be like in bed. Not that it mattered. He didn't know why he cared so much. It wasn't like Samantha meant that much to him.

He was distracted with Kera, and he knew it. _Damn Samantha_. Kera seemed to understand, and soon enough it became a moot point when she discovered who she really was, and tried to kill herself. They had only just stopped her, and convinced her to take the amnesiac again. They sent her back to her world with no idea who she was. The solution was fraught with problems, but it was the best one they could think of.

That night, Daniel lay in his bed, unable to sleep. His thoughts kept drifting back to Samantha, as hard as he tried to contain them.

He had been out of line kissing her, he knew. For all intents and purposes, she was his superior officer. He wondered what kind of punishment that would merit if he _was_ military.

He couldn't help but think it would probably have been worth it.

Daniel groaned in frustration. This was a royal waste of time – time in which he ought to be sleeping. He got out of bed to head to the infirmary to beg for a sleeping pill.

In her own quarters, Samantha couldn't sleep. She couldn't stop thinking about the kiss she had shared with Daniel. Part of her wished Daniel was military, so she could string his ass up for making a pass at a superior officer. Haha, that would teach him.

Part of her was glad Daniel wasn't military, so he was free to kiss her again.

Oh, God, had she actually thought that? _She_ should have her ass strung up. Daniel was a member of her team, he was her responsibility. She shouldn't be thinking about him, especially when he was supposed to be sleeping. They had a big day ahead of them tomorrow.

Samantha rolled out of bed and headed towards the infirmary to beg for a sleeping pill. She was too wound up to get to sleep on her own.

Samantha and Daniel were both too distracted with their thoughts to notice the other until they literally ran into each other. Understandable, they hadn't expected to see the other this late at night.

" What are you doing up? " Samantha asked Daniel crossly. It was as if she had thought him into being, her thoughts had been so powerful.

" I could ask you the same thing, " Daniel retorted. " I couldn't sleep. I came to get something for it. "

" Me too, " Samantha admitted.

For a few seconds, they stood facing each other in awkward silence. Then Daniel said, " Look, Sam, I'm sorry for kissing you. I was out of line. "

" It's OK, " she said. " I was out of line with what I said. It's none of my business who you sleep with. And honestly, I understand why you did it – it must have been, well, a relief… " her voice trailed off as she searched for the words to say. Might as well plunge straight into it. " Danny, I really admired the way you were faithful to Sha're. I don't think I would have been able to resist temptation like that. "

Daniel blushed. " It wouldn't have felt right, " he said modestly. " I mean, I always knew I wasn't going to get her back, but it wouldn't have felt right, being with another woman while she was still alive. "

Samantha felt tears in her eyes. She was touched by Daniel's admission. He had loved Sha're, a part of him would always love her. He had stayed faithful to her because some part of her was still his wife… that kind of devotion was rare.

God, she wished it was hers.

" Sam? What's wrong? " Daniel asked when he saw her crying.

Samantha quickly wiped the tears from her eyes. " Nothing, " she lied. " Just… allergies. "

Daniel smirked. " That's _my_ excuse, " he said. " And the sorriest lie you've come up with yet. What's really up? "

Samantha turned away, flushed with embarrassment about her feelings being revealed. " I'm just a little jealous, " she admitted. " About how much you loved Sha're. "

The way she said it aroused Daniel's curiosity. " Because she was loved or… "

" Because she was loved by you, " Samantha whispered in a small voice. She was afraid to look at Daniel, afraid to face the possibility of rejected.

" Sam, look at me, " Daniel commanded in a low voice.

Slowly, Samantha turned her head so she was looking into Daniel's eyes. His blue eyes seemed to be searching her soul.

" This is going to be a nightmare, you and I, " he said.

" Jack will be furious, " Samantha said.

" Jack, Hammond, Maybourne… " Daniel continued. " But… I think I'm in love with you so it's already a problem. "

Samantha started crying in earnest now. She was so relieved to hear Daniel say he was in love with her, or at least that he thought he was, but anxious about the consequences about them being together. Now that it was real, so were the repercussions. She was military, he wouldn't ; all the blame for their relationship would rest on her. It might be mitigated he wasn't military, but he was still under her supervision. It would almost be as bad as if she were to have an affair with a junior officer under her command. God, no wonder Jack had never made a move. This was a nightmare.

Daniel took her into his arms. " It's OK, Sam, I'll get myself reassigned first thing tomorrow, " he promised. " I'll make sure none of this falls onto you. They can't do much to me. In the meantime, I guess we should keep this under wraps. "

Samantha nodded against the material of Daniel's night shirt, although the idea of being separated from him now that they'd finally connected made her feel empty. At least it wouldn't be permanent, just long enough for Daniel to get settled on another team. She sighed. That seemed so long away.

" OK, " she agreed in a small voice.

Daniel tilted her head up so her mouth was inches away from his. " It won't be for long, " he promised. " You'll be grateful when you aren't demoted. "

" Or chucked out of the airforce, " Samantha agreed as optimistically as she could.

" That, too. But in the meantime… " Daniel lowered his mouth to hers for a gentle kiss. He drew her against the wall to steady himself as their mouths connected. He gently pried open her mouth with his tongue, their tongues tangling, exploring each other mouths until they were breathless and they separated. Samantha rested her head against his strong chest, her body shaking from the impact of the kiss.

Daniel held her tightly. " No more jealousy? " he asked, a content smile on his face.

Samantha rubbed her face against Daniel's chest like a cat. " No more jealousy, " she agreed.


	2. Chapter Two

Chapter Two 

_Thanks for the feedback from everyone! I wasn't going to do a second chapter initially, but since you asked for it…_

It was difficult for Samantha and Daniel to keep their hands off each other on the mission the next day, let alone refrain from simple gestures of affection like holding hands. Daniel had spoken too soon when he'd promised to resign that day ; they had to complete this mission first, which was becoming increasingly difficult to do without revealing their feelings for each other. But they got through it.

After the debriefing session and a shower to freshen up, Daniel cautiously snuck into Samantha's quarters, making absolutely sure no-one saw him.

Samantha looked up when she heard the door open, distracted out of her thoughts which involved a naked Daniel. _Think of the Devil_, she thought, and ran into his arms, kissing him passionately, hungrily, making up for the two days they'd been forced to act like they were just team-mates. " You have no idea how badly I want you, " she groaned between kisses. She shivered when Daniel ran his hands up and down her bare back and pressed herself tightly against him. Tentatively, she began unbuttoning his shirt.

Regretfully, he pushed her away. Samantha knew why, and she knew it was for the best, but she resented it nonetheless. " Sam… " Daniel said regretfully. " You know when this comes out, they're going to asked us – _you­_ – what happened between us before I was transferred. It will look a lot better if we could honestly say we weren't… intimate. "

Samantha growled. She knew Daniel was right, and appreciated his concern and farsightedness, but she was frustrated nonetheless. " Why didn't you even come then, " she asked childishly.

" Because I had to see you privately. I've been within ten feet of you for two days and I haven't been able to hold your hand – " he squeezed her fingers between hers, " – or kiss you – " he lowered his mouths to hers, " – or hold you. " He squeezed her tightly. He buried his face in the side of her neck. " I've been thinking about you nonstop. "

Samantha squirmed happily in Daniel's embrace. She hadn't realised how much the words meant to her ; she had spent the last two and a half years telling herself there was no way things could work between them that she'd never considered how good it would feel to be with him.

Reluctantly, she let him go to request a transfer. It was hard to let him go, and she knew it would only get harder now that they would be in different teams, but it was for the best. Samantha sighed. Having a relationship while being part of an ultra-classified government program was difficult, to say the least.

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Daniel found General Hammond, and was grateful Jack wasn't with him. While Daniel didn't feel threatened by the flirtation Jack and Samantha had had going for a while, he knew it was going to be difficult, coming clean to Jack about their relationship. If he could put that off for a little while, he would.

" Doctor Jackson, what can I do for you? " Hammond asked Daniel when Daniel entered the General's office.

" I, um, am requesting permission to be transferred out of SG-1, " Daniel said nervously, producing the piece of paper that had his formal written request on it.

Hammond raised his eyebrows. " Is this still about Teal'c? " he asked, jumping to the obvious conclusion immediately.

" No, sir, it's not. Teal'c and I are fine. I just can't stay in SG-1. " Daniel was hoping he wouldn't have to give his reasons for requesting a transfer, though he and Samantha had agreed he would if he had to.

" SG-1 has the best track record of all the teams, and I see no reason to transfer you and upset that dynamic without a damn good reason, " Hammond said firmly.

Daniel took a deep breath. There was no help for it. " Samantha and I are involved, " he admitted.

Hammond stared at Daniel. " What do you mean, _involved? _" he asked. It was certainly a euphemistic way of describing the situation. One would hope that such life-or-death circumstances would force a team to become 'involved' with each other, although Hammond was pretty sure that wasn't what Daniel meant.

" I mean… the night before we went on the mission, we kissed, and we agreed it was best if I asked for a transfer before anything more happened, " Daniel confessed in a small voice, his head down. He knew without looking up that Hammond would be less then impressed.

He was. Hammond tried to control his anger. This was hardly the first time in his long career that the people under his command had caused a massive inconvenience in hooking up, but he had definitely expected more of the members of SG-1. They were brilliant together, his best team, and now Samantha and Daniel had ruined it.

There was no help for it, they had to be separated. Even if he succeeded in ordering them not to continue along that path, they would still have feelings for one another. The best possible solution was to put Daniel in another team, but that didn't make Hammond any less irritated by this turn of events.

" You know, if you were military, you could be court-martialled for this, " Hammond pointed out. " Both of you. "

" I know. But I'm not. " For that, Daniel was grateful. He didn't care so much about himself but the consequences for Samantha. This was going to reflect much more badly on her, as the superior officer, but not as badly as it would have if he had been in the airforce.

" Doctor Jackson, I'm going to ask you something and I expect you to answer me honestly. How intimate have you and Captain Carter been? "

Daniel blushed ; it just wasn't in his nature to be honest about such personal matters. " We just kissed, sir, " he said honestly, and Hammond took his profuse blushing to mean he was telling the truth. " I know what Sam has vested in this, I didn't want to take things too far while she was my superior officer. "

" You're just lucky you're not military – for both your sakes, " Hammond said gruffly. " Unfortunately when this gets out most of it is going to be pinned on her – at best, they'll say she breached protocol, she seduced you, she should be court martialled. If you can keeps this under wraps for a month before Maybourne finds out, I think I can deflect most of the attention off you. "

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"… So we really need to keep things under wraps for at least a month – ohhhhhh… " Daniel moaned when Samantha ran her hand down his chest, resting on his groin. " You're not making this easy for me, " he observed. " I just said – "

" I know what you said, " Samantha interrupted, kissing Daniel. " And I think I'll take my chances. " She fingered the top button of his pants.

Reluctantly he pushed her away. " Well I don't want to, " he said. " If this gets out too soon, it'll be your career on the line, " Daniel pointed out. " I don't wanna be responsible for that. I _won't_ be responsible for that. "

Groaning in frustration, Samantha buried her face in Daniel's chest. Now that they had gotten together, every obstacle seemed like God was playing with them.

Daniel ran his fingers through Samantha's hair. " I know its hard, " he said sympathetically. Right now there was nothing he wanted to do then scoop Samantha into his arms and carry her to the bed and – he swallowed, determined not to go down that path lest he lose his resolve. " But you'll thank me later. "

Samantha smiled weakly. Daniel was so thoughtful. She sighed and hugged him tighter, knowing it was going to be the most contact she was going to get from him for a while.

Hammond organised the mission schedules of SGs 1 and 4 so Samantha and Daniel were rarely at the mountain base together. Hammond had accept the consequences of them being together, and he believed Daniel was sincere in being in love with Samantha, but he still hoped it might be nothing more then infatuation that a month apart would take care of. And if it was more then infatuation, if they were really in love, then a month apart wouldn't do them any harm.

Neither of them had to ask Hammond to come to this conclusion themselves, and while both of them saw the wisdom in such a move, it was frustrating nonetheless. They wanted to be together, and at the moment all they were getting were smiles in the hallways, a few frantic kisses in a few stolen minutes.

And then there was the whole Jack thing. He had to be told, he was already asking persistent questions about why Daniel had transferred. As the two teams rarely crossed paths these days, Samantha copped the worst of it. Jack was a little hurt by what he saw as Daniel's abandonment. While the two men often clashed over the best way to approach different planets, Jack loved Daniel like a brother, or a son, albeit a dorky one who put history and other soppy causes before cold, hard weapons.

But they kept putting it off. They agreed they would tell Jack together. It didn't help that Hammond kept them separated, and they wanted time to build on their relationship before they told Jack about it.

Finally, they were given time to themselves. Hammond decided they'd been separated for over a month, if their relationship could survive that then good for them. He certainly couldn't keep them separated forever.

" God, I've missed you, " Daniel said between frantic kisses when he and Samantha were finally alone – and they had the whole night to themselves, too. A month of no more contact them longing glances in the halls and the occasional stolen kiss and they were both aching for something more.

" I've missed you too, " Samantha murmured. She groaned when Daniel slipped his hand inside her shirt, and ran his fingers down her bare skin. " Oh, God, Daniel, I want you so much! " she moaned gutturally. She knew how horny and desperate she sounded, but she didn't care. She knew Daniel felt the same way.

Their first time together was fast and frantic, with a quick climax. Neither of them cared, luxuriating in the warm glow of the aftermath. " I can't believe we waited so long, " Samantha said, one arm draped across Daniel's chest.

Daniel kissed the top of her blond hair. " We had a lot of obstacles, " he pointed out, not wanting to name them. Sha're. Kera.

Jack.

Actually, come to think of it, that was _'having'_ an obstacle, in the present tense.

Sensing Daniel's thoughts, Samantha stirred. " Now we really have to tell him, " she said. She didn't have to elaborate who 'he' was.

" How do you feel about him? " Daniel asked. Maybe it wasn't the most appropriate thing to ask just after sex, but they'd had so little time to talk in the last month and Daniel had to know where he stood with Samantha – and where she stood with Jack.

Samantha thought for a few minutes, choosing her words carefully. She loved Jack, and once upon a time she had thought she was _in_ love with Jack, but now she knew he wasn't. " He's my CO, he's like a father to me, and I guess that how I love him, " she explained. " But I'm not _in love_ with him, and I guess I never was, or else this wouldn't have happened. " She circled Daniel's chest with his finger, indicating their relationship.

Daniel lowered his mouth to hers for a passionate kiss. God, how he loved Samantha. He had been worried that she might have some residual feelings for Jack, but now he felt secure in her feelings towards her.

Still, Jack needed to be told. And soon. But not just yet, they agreed. They needed a little more time to establish their relationship.

So a month passed. When Samantha and Daniel weren't on official business (and now that Hammond had seen their relationship was for real, he did his best to see that their free time was together) they were together, often making love, sometimes just talking and enjoying each other's company. While there had been a few lingering doubts about their relationship when they'd first started seeing each other – was it worth the consequences if it didn't work out? – they soon dissipated in the security of their relationship. They loved being together, and they had become closer friends because of it. It was the best thing to happen to them.

And then the bomb dropped.

Jack had been bored, having nothing to do after another mission had finished. Unlike Daniel and Samantha, who spent most of their on-world time pouring over their newest discoveries, Jack didn't have much to do after the debriefing was over.

He realised it had been a while since he'd talked to Daniel – if he and Daniel ever talked, mostly they disagreed – and suddenly missed the archaeologist who had been part of his team. It still hadn't been established why Daniel had transferred. He decided to go and have a chat with the younger man.

It didn't occur to Jack that he should knock before he entered Daniel's quarters. They had been a team for over two years, or at least before Daniel had transferred, fought together, slept together, showered together – there was nothing about Daniel, physically and personality wise, that Jack didn't know about. He didn't see any reason to start worrying about privacy now. So he didn't both to knock.

Samantha and Daniel were too involved in what they were doing to be immediately aware of the intruder. Samantha was straddling Daniel and riding him hard while he held onto her hips. " Sam, oh Sam, " he groaned in ecstasy. He couldn't remember such pleasure. " Sam…Sam…_oh, God, JACK! _" he cried in horror when he realised his former commander was witnessing this intimate act.

Instinctively, Samantha rolled off Daniel, diving under the sheets.

For a few moments, Jack stared at the scene in front of him. Never in his life had he expected to walk in on Samantha and Daniel having sex. For a few moments, he was completely paralysed. Then he turned around and fled the scene.

Samantha and Daniel looked at each other in horror. This was not how they had imagined telling Jack. Well, they had kind of skirted the issue of telling Jack, but if they _had_ thought about it, it wouldn't have been this way.

" I have to talk to him, " Samantha said. She slipped out of bed and reached for her clothes.

Daniel reached for her arm in gentle restraint. " He won't want to listen to you, " he said. " You remember how you reacted after – um – Kera and I. " He blushed. He'd always thought it was in bad taste to bring up an old lover to a current one.

Samantha found it endearing. She knew Daniel was right, Jack needed some time to cool down. She allowed Daniel to pull her into his arms, although the shock of being caught out this way had killed any desire they had.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Jack had stormed to General Hammond's office. Hammond _had_ to have known about this, or else he wouldn't have approved of Daniel's transfer. So _that_ was his reason, the thieving little bastard. Jack wasn't exactly sure what Daniel had stolen – it wasn't like he and Samantha had ever been anything but team mates – but he was furious about it nonetheless. If nothing else, they should have been upfront about it. He was their _leader_, for Christ sakes, he should have been told, just as a personal courtesy!

" Did you know about Daniel and Carter? " Jack demanded of Hammond, although it was a pointless question. Of course he'd known.

" I was aware they were forming a bond, it was why I approved of Doctor Jackson's request to be transferred. He didn't want Major Carter to look bad when it got out. "

" Well, thanks for telling _me_, " Jack said irritably, although he wasn't sure what he was so irritated about. It was more then just being left out of the loop, because that he sort of understood.

It was the idea of Samantha being with anyone but him.

Even when she'd had her brief flirtations with Narim and Martouf, he'd been a little jealous. He'd wanted Samantha all to himself, even though of course there was no way he and Samantha could be together. One of them would have had to leave the military (he was the obvious choice, having retired twice already, but he just hadn't wanted to) and the program meant too much to either of them to consider it.

He supposed that meant they hadn't really cared about each other that much in the first place. Hammond could have pulled some strings to have one of them reinstated as a civilian. It was what made Samantha and Daniel's relationship possible. But they hadn't thought of that. Really, they had a right to be with other people, as both of them had done. Jack himself had had a relationship with a woman offworld.

But he had never expected the man Samantha had a relationship with to be Daniel.

He felt betrayed, betrayed by the man he'd considered a son, betrayed by the woman who'd always been in his heart, even if he couldn't have her. He resented the circumstances that had seen Samantha drift away from him – and into Daniel's arms.

The next day, Daniel confronted Jack. " Look, I'm really sorry about the way you found out, " he said.

The implication was clear ; he wasn't sorry about being with Samantha. " But you're not sorry about putting her career in jeopardy? " he snapped. Jack enjoyed the flash of guilt that passed through Daniel's eyes.

" We talked about that, and she said she was willing to take that risk, " Daniel defended himself. " I transferred before anything happened, so people couldn't say anything. "

" Well, obviously something happened, or you wouldn't have transferred, " Jack pointed out sharply.

Daniel lowered his eyes, caught out. " We just kissed, " he admitted unhappily under Jack's piercing gaze. Jack made him feel like a kiss was something dirty, immoral. Jack was determined to sully their relationship, and Daniel could understand why. For two years, there had been something between Jack and Samantha, something Jack had assumed would always be there, and now it was over – because of Daniel.

" We never expected this to happen, " Daniel said. " And we certainly didn't mean to hurt you. "

Jack raised one eyebrow. " Hurt me? " he asked. " Why would I care? "

" I know you care about Samantha, " Daniel said, emphasising the word _care_ so Jack knew he meant it as more then just a friend and team mate. " I know – there was something between you at some point. " Jack flinched at these words ; he hadn't realised his feelings had been so apparent. " Please, Jack, we'd really like your support. "

Jack stared at Daniel incredulously. " You flaunted airforce rules. If you were military, you'd be cashiered. There's a _reason_ there's rules against fraternising, you know. And you say you care about Sam – when your relationship becomes public knowledge, everyone's going to assume she seduced you. That's just how it works in the military, women's behaviour is always under more scrutiny. Her reputation will take a battering – but you were obviously thinking with your dick and not your head, or your heart. "

Jack's words stung Daniel as if the older man had struck him. He _did_ care about Samantha! Samantha had made a choice to accept the consequences of the public opinion that would come about when their relationship was made public. They had taken the precautions to protect Samantha legally, and she decided that she loved Daniel enough to weather public opinion. And Jack was making it sound like Daniel's only thought was to get laid, that he didn't care about Samantha at all!

Not wanting to get into a fight with Jack, Daniel walked off, his body language making it known he was furious. He tried to restrain his anger later that day when he was with Samantha, trying to make love to her, but Samantha knew immediately that Daniel was distracted.

" Do you think I only thought about getting laid when we got together? " Daniel asked when Samantha gently coaxed him into telling her what was wrong.

" What? Daniel, are you kidding? " Samantha asked incredulously. " You're not capable of having sex without being involved emotionally, let alone put my reputation in jeopardy just to get laid. Don't you think I know that? It's what I love about you. Who said that? Jack? "

Daniel nodded miserably. The idea of anyone thinking he was only with Samantha to get laid, that he would let her jeopardise her reputation to fulfil a physical urge – it made him angry, and left him with a bad taste in his mouth.

" I'll talk to him, " Samantha promised, and talk to him she did.

She confronted Jack the following day, after a night of long lovemaking that had calmed Daniel's edginess, about his accusations.

" I'll have you know, _Colonel_ – " she stressed the title, meant to be a sign of respect, to show Jack how little respect she had for him right now, " – that there were dozens of times I wanted to have sex with Daniel, and believe me, I tried, but he turned me down every time, telling me we needed to wait til things got settled so Maybourne wouldn't have a case against us. And I don't care about what people say, once they see we love each other and we've been together for a while they'll find someone else to talk about. "

Jack flinched at Samantha's declaration of love for Daniel. " He shouldn't have gotten involved with you, " Jack insisted.

" You make it sound like I had no say in this, " Samantha countered. " I know exactly what I'm doing, Jack, and I can't believe you're begrudging my chance at happiness just because of something we once had – that we never acted on. "

" _I_ cared about your career, " Jack retorted indignantly.

" Bullshit, " Samantha said. " You could have retired and been reassigned as a civilian, " she pointed out. " You didn't care enough to do it. "

Her words stung Jack. It was true, he hadn't cared enough, or else he would have moved heaven and earth to be with Samantha. It was just that he had always thought Samantha would be there, just out of reach, but always available.

And now she was gone. And he didn't know how to deal with that.

" Jack, you have to deal with it, " Samantha said sympathetically. " I wish things weren't as complicated as they are but – I love Daniel and I'm not going to stop seeing him just because you're having difficulty coming to terms with it. "

Her words were spoken with absolute conviction and sincerity and Jack knew that she meant every one of them. Samantha was planning to spend the rest of her life with Daniel, and there was nothing Jack could do about it but accept it. Jack closed his eyes. He could feel a headache coming on. He knew with leadership came responsibility, and he had the responsibility to let Samantha go with the least amount of aggravation – for the good of the team and the program.

" Go and be with him, " he said hoarsely. " And please, Carter, try and keep it out of my face. "

Grinned happily, Samantha hugged Jack, and kissed him on the cheek. She would never have shown such an overt display of affection if she hadn't been so grateful for his support – or what passed for it anyway. Jack was trying to make things easy for her because of his personal respect and admiration for her, and for the good of the team and the program. He would need some time to adjust to the idea of Daniel and Samantha being together, and Samantha vowed that they were continue being extra-discreet about their relationship for Jack's sake.

After hugging Jack, Samantha walked – OK, _ran_ – to Daniel's quarters. She hadn't realised until now how much Jack's approval had meant to her. OK, so it wasn't exactly _approval_, but it was better then disapproval, and she was confident that, with time, Jack would accept her and Daniel's relationship as comfortable as he had accept their friendship, and his friendship with them.

Daniel was sitting at his desk, going over some scripts, although he wasn't really looking at them. He was thinking about Samantha, wondering how her talk with Jack was going. He really wanted Jack's approval of their relationship – or, failing that, an absence of _dis_approval. He knew he would never be truly happy in his relationship with Samantha if he knew Jack was against it.

She was smiling, which he took to be a good sign. " How did things go? " he asked, rising from his chair to kiss her.

" OK, I think, " she said.

Daniel raised one eyebrow. " You think? " he asked, confused.

" I mean… he needs time to adjust. He doesn't approve, exactly, but he doesn't disapprove, either. I think in time he'll accept us, but in the meantime it wouldn't hurt to continue being discreet. "

" I had no intention of being in people's faces, anyway, " Daniel pointed out. Theoretically they – well, Samantha – were safe from prosecution, but it wouldn't help matters to flaunt their relationship. While they wouldn't make an effort to keep in a secret, they would continue to be very discreet about it.

It didn't matter to either of them. They loved each other and they were able to be together. What more could they ask for?

Daniel embraced her in a tight hug, kissing her until they were both breathless. " I have a request, " Samantha said when they stopped for air.

" What? " Daniel asked.

" Make love to me, Doctor Jackson. "

Daniel's eyes danced with happiness as he scooped Samantha into his arms. " It would be my pleasure, MajorDoctor, " he said.

THE END.


End file.
